If you’re a UK based manufacturer, you may have recently seen an increase in the demand for your goods overseas. Perhaps you haven’t exported your goods before, or have only done it a few times. It will seem like a daunting task, but that’s why it is a good idea to appoint a Freight Forwarder to handle your export shipment for you.
Mercator Cargo is a UK based Freight Forwarder, we have been running for over 20 years, and are still managed and run by the same family. We are a small team of experts in international shipping. Our dedicated export department can assist you in exporting your goods to almost anywhere in the world.
The Government has been saying for some time that international trade (particularly exports) will help the UK economy grow. Now is the perfect time to take that first step into the international trade arena and start exporting your UK manufactured goods. International trade can massively boost a small to medium sized company.
The UK has had a few exposed years in terms of media coverage, what with the London 2012 Olympics and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the Royal Wedding and so on. As such, there is a greater demand in the world marketplace for UK branded goods.
According to the Office of National Statistics, the export market for the UK for the second quarter of 2013 has been the highest on record (at £78.4bn). If you think your company would like a slice of this huge potential, then perhaps it is time to seriously consider exporting your goods worldwide.
If you are in the stage of arranging some international sales, then it is always a good idea to also tempt your buyers by offering freight included (this can be seen as favourable as it would reduce their workload). We can offer a range of services, from just freight, to a full door to door service.
Give one of our sales team a call today to get a quote for your shipment – Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk.
As an experienced freight forwarder, Mercator Cargo handles regular air and sea freight shipments to Australia. Generally, sea freight shipping to Australia can take up to 50 days, depending upon which port the vessel calls at. Some vessels will call by several ports, whilst others will just stop at one or two, for example Perth, Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney and Brisbane, to name a few.
Our local partner in Australia has handled many shipments in conjunction with Mercator Cargo. The benefit of having a freight forwarding point of contact in Australia is their local knowledge and abilities to arrange a ‘to door’ shipment once arrived in Australia.
Shipping to Sydney, for example, can be arranged whereby your cargo is loaded onto a vessel which calls at Sydney, to reduce trucking time. Once your container shipment has arrived in Sydney, arrangements to deliver the cargo to its final destination can be implemented.
Australia is a vast country, and whereas, for example, if you are shipping goods into the UK, there isn’t a great difference if the vessel calls at Southampton or Felixstowe, the difference between Perth and Brisbane is vast. It is best to arrange for your shipping to Australia to arrive at the port nearest the cargo’s final destination.
We can also arrange air freight shipping to Australia, arriving in Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, or Adelaide. Air freight takes 24 hours from leaving London to arriving in Australia. Obviously air freight comes at a premium, so unless the shipment for Australia is urgent, or much smaller than a pallet or container, then sea freight tends to be the method of transit most choose.
Upon your shipments arrival in the Australian port, the cargo will be checked, along with the documents, packing list, and cleared through customs. Depending upon what has been agreed with your buyer, there may be GST and duty to pay to clear the shipment through customs.
If you’re looking for someone to handle your shipping to Australia, then give us a call and speak to our exports department, where someone will be able to assist you – Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk.
Using a freight forwarder to handle your import or export shipment might not be as costly as you think.
Firstly, freight forwarders have good contacts with various hauliers and shipping lines. Freight forwarders understand their industry, and their suppliers. Shopping around for the best price is standard practice here at Mercator Cargo, we obtain the best price for our customers. Using a freight forwarder can have this advantage, if you consider a potential shipment, where would you start? Would you ring around lots of suppliers to get the best price? Would you know which supplier offers which route or service? Mercator Cargo knows, and that’s why we are able to shop around for the most competitive price for you.
Would you know to ask suppliers if prices they gave you included this service, or that service? A freight forwarder can help you in this aspect, the price given will be the price paid. If you know your costs upfront, you can then work on your profit margins; how much do you need to sell this for to make a decent profit taking into account your shipping costs?
Finally, utilising a freight forwarder can prevent mistakes, thus saving money. For example, if a document is not in the right place at the right time, your shipment may have to be held on quay, or in storage, which can be costly. Putting your freight into trusting hands can alleviate this possibility of further costs incurred due to delays.
If you’re looking for a freight forwarder to take control of your shipping for you , then call us today to discuss your shipments – Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk.
Mercator Cargo has been running for over twenty years now and is still run and managed by the same founding family. Mr Paul (our MD) has been in the industry for almost forty years, and our imports and exports team have extensive knowledge of the freight forwarding industry.
Mercator Cargo is an independent freight forwarder. But what does this mean to you as the import or export customer? Traditionally, independent freight forwarders have had the means and the advantage of offering their customers a high quality personal service.
An independent freight forwarding outfit has excellent capabilities of being flexible with their customers, and the ability to be agile and respond quickly to their customers’ need for convenience. By having this valuable service, good rapport with customers, and formed links with other independent freight forwarders (via a global network), independent freight forwarders have the ability to offer just as comprehensive freight forwarding service, if not a better service than larger logistics companies.
The advantage of an independent freight forwarder being a part of a global network, is also something which can set apart one forwarder from another. Mercator Cargo is a founding partner of the independent freight forwarder network Marco Polo Line. The global network is made up of other independent freight forwarders from all around the world. The advantage of being part of this network includes having personal contacts in almost every country in the world, local knowledge around the globe, ability to offer door-to-door services in most countries, and tried and tested worldwide partners.
Independent freight forwarders, such as Mercator Cargo, have traditional strengths of innovative and bespoke premium services, teamed with the added value of thorough knowledge of their clients businesses and service.
If you’re looking for a reliable service from an independent freight forwarder, then call us today to discuss your shipping needs – Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk.
Shipping containers have been used since the 1950s when they were invented by an American trucking businessman. Since then, freight forwarders, importers and exporters have used shipping containers for the transit of all kinds of goods.
Prior to freight forwarders using 40 foot or 20 foot containers, ships hulls were loaded manually by dock workers, box by box, piece by piece. This is a time consuming job, and sometimes these big shipping liners spent more time at the docks than they did at sea.
Now, using shipping containers, freight forwarders can get their cargo off the shipping liners within hours, rather than weeks. Their uniformed sizes mean that they can be easily transferred from ship to dockside, to truck, to train, and so on.
These rather simple developments in freight forwarding have dramatically decreased costs involved in importing and exporting goods.
If you have a full container load, or even a less than container load, of cargo to be exported or imported, then get in touch today to discuss our freight forwarding services available – Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk.
If you are new to importing or exporting from the UK, you may be wondering what a freight forwarder does, what their role with your company should be, what they can offer, and what the responsibilities of the importer/exporter (i.e. you) versus the freight forwarder are.
To cut the jargon, the freight forwarder (the person or company that you appoint to handle your shipment) will do just that – they will handle your shipment for you. Freight forwarders oversee the worldwide movement of goods from country to country, and can offer services such as packing, documentation and customs clearance on behalf of exporters and importers.
Your freight forwarder should be able to offer any kind of level of service you require. For example, if you are completely new to importing and exporting your goods, you may wish your freight forwarder to arrange all aspects of your shipment. This might include a door-to-door delivery (i.e. arrange the collection of goods, and delivery of goods to the door for your chosen destination), insurance, customs clearance, and all services required to deliver goods from one country to the next. However, you may decide that you only wish for a delivery from door to port, or from port to door, and so on. Mercator can offer either a fully comprehensive freight forwarding service, or arrange smaller aspects of your shipment.
So what kind of role do you wish your freight forwarder to have with your company? Again, this entirely depends on your needs and the needs of your business. If you are a first time importer, or exporter, you may wish to make initial contact with your freight forwarder before committing to any international trade with other companies. Mercator Cargo can offer you advice on buying terms from abroad, provide quotes for exports from the UK so you can inform your buyers, and also advise what you can or cannot import from country to country. Our experienced team of freight forwarders can offer as much “hand holding” as you require.
What are your responsibilities, and what are our responsibilities? In a nut shell, our responsibilities are to get your goods to its destination for you as instructed, to inform you every step of the way of your shipment, and to provide reliable advice relating to your shipment. Your responsibilities as an importer or exporter vary from shipment to shipment. You are required to declare your goods accurately (i.e. if a declaration is made on your behalf as instructed, and it is not accurate, you are liable for this, not the freight forwarder), therefore it is essential you advise your freight forwarder of the accurate nature of your goods.
If you think that you might need the services of a freight forwarder, then give us a call, we will be happy to discuss your freight forwarding needs with you – Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk.
Mercator Cargo is a founding member of the global freight forwarding network Marco Polo Line (MPL). What does this mean for you, the potential (or existing) customer?
Marco Polo Line was founded with the intention to give independent freight forwarders (like Mercator Cargo) advantages that the bigger freight forwarders have traditionally enjoyed over the independent forwarders.
The first, and biggest impact that Mercator finds invaluable on a daily basis (both for our customers, and our operations in the office) is the personal contacts that we now have globally. Marco Polo Line holds annual conferences, where members can meet face-to-face and build working relationships. Mercator Cargo takes full advantage of these conferences, sending at least two members of the freight forwarding team. These personal contacts allow Mercator to arrange shipments seamlessly, using valuable local knowledge, and offer to-door shipments in almost any country in the world (thanks to our global partners).
The other advantage is that members are ‘vetted’, tried and tested (you cannot join MPL by just filling a form in). Membership is monitored, so if there are problems, these can be raised and eradicated. This means that our partner offices are trustworthy and reliable to handle your shipments, where ever they are in the world.
These are just a few examples of the benefits of choosing Mercator as your freight forwarder.
Contact us today to discuss how we can help you with your freight forwarding needs – Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk.
This week sees the UK’s ‘Export Week’; a government launched series of events around the UK to promote exporting to small businesses.
The aim of ‘Export Week’ is to increase the number of small businesses that currently export. The national target set by the government is for 100,000 more businesses exporting over the next 5 years.
This would increase the number of UK manufacturers that export from 20% to 25%, and add to the UK economy an estimated £36 billion.
UK businesses can see an increase in up to 34% of productivity when they start exporting, so if you have the opportunity to export – it’s a no-brainer!
Small businesses might be daunted by the prospect of exporting from the UK, however, it is becoming increasingly more evident that smaller businesses can also win international business.
Of course, larger firms may already have trained staff in exporting their goods, and may even have dedicated staff for this purpose.
Smaller firms need not fear; this is where a freight forwarder can step in. By appointing a freight forwarder to handle their export shipment, the whole process can be taken care of. By appointing an experienced freight forwarder (such as Mercator Cargo) the weight can be lifted off your shoulders and you can be safe in the knowledge that your cargo is in expert hands.
Mercator Cargo is an independent freight forwarder who prides itself on offering a personal service. With a team of experienced freight forwarders at hand, we can offer a “hand holding” service if needs be, and can offer advice at every step along the way.
So if you’re considering exporting your goods from the UK, give Mercator Cargo a call today to discuss your export shipment – Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk.
10, St George’s Business Centre,
St Georges Square,
Portsmouth, PO1 3EZ, UK
Mercator is a family-run, UK based independent freight forwarder, offering highly effective sea, road and air freight services around the world.
